Marking machine for marking web material



Feb. 26, 1952 E. B. BATES MARKING MACHINE FOR MARKING WEB MATERIAL 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21, 1950 FM/Lt BERNARD 547:5

AGE/VT Feb. 26, 1952 E. B. BATES MARKING MACHINE FOR MARKING WEBMATERIAL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1950 F/GZ.

AGE/YT Feb. 26, 1952 BATES 2,586,905

MARKING MACHINE FOR MARKING WEB MATERIAL Filed Feb. 21, 1950 5Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOI? [MILE fiEKNAR'D BA TES E. B. BATES MARKINGMACHINE FOR MARKING WEB MATERIAL Feb. 26, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledFeb. 21, 1950 ykffy A F/GS Patented Feb. 26, 1952 MARKING MACHINE Eon.MARKING WEB MATERIAL Emile Bernard Bates, Leicester, EnglandApplicationFebruary 21,

In Great Britain 6 Claims.

This invention concerns marking machines for marking Web material suchfor example as knitted or other fabric in the piece and its chief objectis an improved marking apparatus for use in such machines.

The invention provides in or for a marking machine for marking webmaterial, marking apparatus comprising a hollow rotatable web-engagingroller or wheel having, mounted to rotate with it, an electric ironmounted for projection to and retraction from an operative position inwhich it is presented at the periphery of the roller, a mounting for awound supply of marking ribbon and a take-up means for accumulating theused ribbon, guides for guiding the ribbon from the supply to thetake-up means in a path which presents it to be pressed against the webby the projected iron, feed mechanism for feeding the ribbon step bystep from the supply to the take-up means the feed taking place upon theretraction of the iron, and mechanism for projecting and retracting theiron. This apparatus has the advantage that it permits the employment ofa ribbon which is coated or otherwise treated uniformly along itssurface in such manner that, when pressed by the heated iron against thefabric or the like, a mark is applied to the fabric. Therefore thecorrect and unfailing application for the mark is not dependent upon theaccurate register of any given area on the ribbon with the iron at thetime that the iron ispresented to the fabric and therefore the ribbonfeeding arrangements are of a simple character. Furthermore, since theaccurate operation of the apparatus is independent of an suchregistration requirements, the apparatus is suitable for the applicationof a mark to the web at predetermined linear intervals the linearintervals being for example predetermined by the circumferentialdimension of the roller or wheel.

The foregoing and other features of the invention defined in theappended claims are incorporated in the marking machine which will nowbe described, as a preferred example, with referencev to theaccompanying drawings in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively aperspective view, a side elevation, and a front elevation of themachine;

Figures 4 and 5 are side elevations of the marking drum on a largerscale and partly in section, illustrating its operation;

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of the drum looking towards thedelivery end of the machine;

Figure 7 is a front elevation, partly in section, of the iron andadjacent parts, and Figure 8 is a side elevation thereof;

1950, Serial No. 145,417

February 21.1949 (01. 41- 1) periphery of the fabric windings Figure 9is a sectional elevation illustrating a modification. I

In one construction'of marking machine the fabric or otherweb l to bemarked is fed over a table 2 by engagement in the nip between a lowerfeed roller 3 and an upper marking drum e and is accumulated on a roll 5which is driven by the engagement of a driving roller 6 with the I onthe roll. The driving roller 6 is geared to the marking drum 4, thegearing being shown as chain and sprocket gearing. The shaft 1 of drum 4is provided with a crank handle 8 by which it may be turned and isgeared in the ratio 1 to l to the shaft 9 of the bottom drum 3 by chainI 0 running over sprockets H, l2, l3, l4. Shaft 9 is geared to roller 6by chain l5 running over sprockets 16, ll, I8. The web 1 is drawn from asupply roll l9 removably supported on wheels 20, and runs over guideroller 2,! to the nip. Take up roll 5 has the ends of its shaft 22removably received in channelled guides 23.

The foregoing parts are mounted on a suitable inactive frame, indicatedat 2 4, in a manner that will readily be appreciated from the drawing.It will also be appreciated that thedriving power is not necessarilyapplied from the drum shaft 7 and may be derived from an electric motoror line shafting.

The marking drum 4 has a window 25 cut in its periphery at one locationand carries inside it an electricallyheated iron 26 mounted in guides 27to reciprocate towards and away from the window. 'The iron 26 isreciprocated by means of an ccentricstrap 28 which is pivotallyconnected to it at 29 and encircles a stationary eccentric .30. Thus ateach rotation of the drum 3 the iron 26 is projected and then retractedand the eccentric 33 is so disposed that the iron occupies its'projcctedposition as it reaches the nip (Fig. 5). Within the window 25 there is aflexible ribbon-supporting plate 35 which, as best shown in Figs. 4. and5, conforms in side elevation to theperiphery of the drum 4. The plate35 is mounted (as a cantilever) at one end, at 3%, and its other endrests on an abutment 3i the mounting 35 and the abutment 3'! are spacedinwards of the ends of the window 25 so as to have gaps or slots 38, 39.and the plate 35 is cut out at til to the shape of the iron 26.

Also mounted within the drum ii there is a spindle 3| for receiving aspool 32 of marking ribbon 33, and a spool 34 on which the used ribbonis accumulated, and parts 35, 31 which serve as guides for guiding theribbon 32 from the supply spool 32 to the take-up spool 34 in a pathwhich extends through the slots 38, 3E} and over the plate 35. Thus thepath extends across the windows 25, 116, so that each time the iron 26is projected it presses a portion of the ribbon 33 against the fabric 1as shown on Fig. 5.

The take-up spool 34 is driven by the engagement of a rubber-covereddriving roller 4! with the periphery of the accumulated wound package ofused ribbon, and this driving roller 4| is given a movement of partialrotation each time the iron is reciprocated. The movement of partialrotation is produced by means of pawl-andratchet or free-wheelmechanism, operated in each revolution of the marking drum. For example,the driving roller All may be driven by pawl-and-ratchet mechanism orfree-wheel mechanism 42 from a rotatable driver 43 over which a chain orother flexible element 44. is passed, one end of the element 44 beingconnected to a tension spring 45 and the other end to a lever 46 whichis rocked at each revolution of the marking drum 4 by a cam 41 disposedalongside the eccentric 30. The spring 45 is anchored in at 48 and thelever 46 is pivoted at 49. Thestroke of the lever 41, and therefore thelength of ribbon wound up at each operation, is regulated by adjustmentscrew 50. Eccentric 39 and cam 41 are carried on a sleeve 5| and if theyare stationary, then the ribbon 33 is fed once at each revolution of thedrum, so that a mark is applied to the fabric 1 at each revolution. Itmay be desired to apply a mark every second, third, etc., revolution,and this effect is achieved by driving at the appropriate speedreduction (e. g., 2 to l, and 3 to 1) relative to the drum 4. A simplemechanism for doing this is shown in Fig. 9. Drum shaft 1 is geared tosleeve 52 by reduction gearing shown as consisting of hub 52, sprocket53 on shaft 1, sprockets 54, 55 on hub 52, sprocket 56 on sleeve 58(connected to sleeve 5|) and chains 50, 60.

As will readily be appreciated, the outer face of the iron 26 is curvedso that when the iron is projected this face conforms to the peripheralsurface of the drum d. The outer face may carry any suitable marking (inrelief) which it is desired to apply by means of the ribbon 33 to thefabric or the like I and certain or all of this marking may be carriedby a member which is capable of being indexed so as to present differingdata or characters (e. g. numerals indicative of length) at the outerface of the iron. For example, part of tuted by a wheel or wheels havingnumeralsaround its periphery the said wheel being stepped round eachtime the iron is reciprocated so that successive numerals are presentedat the face of the iron in their numerical order. Thus in Figs. 7 and 8,two numbered wheels BI, 62 are rotatably mounted on spindle 63 and areprovided with ratchet wheels 64, 65 which are racked round by stationaryspring loaded pawls 66, iii each time the iron is retracted. Springloaded detent mechanism 68, 69 is provided for retaining the wheels ineach position to which they are turned, and the wheels derive heat fromthe main body of the iron 26, which is electrically heated by means of aresistance heating element in a manner requiring no illustration. Theleads in, H are fed by way of brush apparatus 12 and a switch '13.

The take-up spool 34 is that a full spool may be one. For this purpose,on the ends of levers 14a,

readily detachable, so replaced by an empty the spool is supported 1422which pivot on the eccentric 39 and cam 41.

the iron may be constithe sleeve 51 and are provided with tensionsprings 15a, 151) which normally urge the spool 34 against the roller4|. If the levers are moved against the spring tension, the spool mayreadily be lifted out through the open end of the drum 4. This levermovement is produced by cams 16a, 16b operable manually by a crank 11.

The machine may be provided with a counting appliance 1,8 for recordingor showing the numher of revolutions made by drum 4.

The ribbon 33 may consist of a thin paper base with a wax coating at oneface; a coating of metal powder is stuck to this wax coating and itselfis coated with a thermoplastic adhesive (such for example as rubber orgutta percha) which only becomes tacky on the application of heat. It isthe adhesiveface which is pressed by the iron 26 against the fabric orother web I, so that areas of the adhesive corresponding to the reliefmarking on the iron are melted and transferred to the web together withthe registering areas of metal powder.

I claim:

1. A marking machine for placing successive markings on a travelling webof material, comprising a hollow rotary drum with an opening in itscircumferential wall, means for rotating said drum, means in said drumfor holding a spool of marking tape in freely-rotatable manner, furthermeans in said drum to receive a take-up spool for said marking tape,said further means being movable around the axis of the drum, 2. drivinroller for the take-up spool, a one-way clutch for rotating said drivingroller in the take-up direction, a lever pivotally mounted in the drum,the pivotal movements of which drive the said clutch, an aperturedtape-guiding plate in the opening in the drum, radial guides in the drumadjacent said opening, an electrically-heated iron slidable in saidguides and passing through the aperture in said tape-guiding plate, asupporting roller engaging the circumferential wall of the drum, meansfor passing the travelling material through the nip between said rollerand drum, a stationary eccentric in the drum'for advancing the ironoutwards as it approaches such nip and retracting it as it leaves thenip, and a stationary cam in the drum for moving the said pivoted lever,to take up the tape after the iron leaves the said nip.

2. A marking machine according to claim 1, wherein the means to receivethe take-up spool comprises a pair of levers mounted for movement aroundthe axis of the drum, spring means urging said spool against the drivingroller, and cam means, operable from outside the drum for lifting thespool off the driving roller against the resistance of such springmeans.

3. A marking machine according to claim 1, wherein the tape-guidingplate is a spring plate, anchored at one end near one end of the openingin the drum, and resting on a support near the other end of the drum,and wherein the means to receive the take-up spool comprises a pair oflevers mounted for movement around the axis of the drum, spring meansurging said spool against the driving roller, and cam means, operablefrom outside the drum for lifting the spool off the driving rolleragainst the resistance of such spring means.

4. A marking machine for placing successive markings on a travelling webmaterial, comprising a rotatable marking drum and a feed rollerproviding a nip for a passage therethrough of the web, which markingdrum is hollow and has a window in its periphery, an electric iron,means mounting the iron in the interior of the drum for projection toand retraction from an operative position in which it is presented atthe window, a mounting for a supply of marking ribbon in the druminterior and take-up means for accumulating the used ribbon in the druminterior, guides for guiding the ribbon from the supply to the take-upmeans along a path which presents it, at the window, to be pressed bythe iron against the web, means for projecting the iron to occupy itsoperative position while it is at the nip and for retracting it as itrotates from the nip, ribbon-feeding means for feeding the ribbon fromthe supply to the take-up upon retraction of the iron, and driving meansfor the drum and roller, said take-up means comprising a pair of leversmounted around the axis of the drum and shaped at the outer ends to holda take-up spool, a driving roller in the drum to rotate said spool andspring means urging the spool against the driving roller, a

ratchet and pawl device for rotating the driving rollerstep-by-step inone direction, and a stationary cam on the axis of the drum to actuatethe ratchet and pawl device as the drum rotates. 5. A marking machinefor placing successive markings on a travelling web material, comprisinga rotatable marking drum and a feed roller providing a nip for a passagetherethrough 4 of theweb, which marking drum is hollow and has a windowin its periphery, an electric iron, means mounting the iron in theinterior of the drum for projection to and retraction from an operativeposition in which it is presented at 1 the window, a mounting for asupply of marking ribbon in the drum interior and take up means foraccumulating the used ribbon in the drum interior, guides for guidingthe ribbon from the supply to the take-up means along a path whichpresents it, at the window, to be pressed by the iron against the web,means for projecting the iron to occupy its operative position while itis at the nip and for retracting it as it rotates from the nip,ribbon-feeding means for feeding the ribbon from the supply to thetake-up upon retraction of the iron, and driving means for the drum andthe roller, said take-up means comprising a pair of levers mountedaround the axis of the drum and shaped at the outer ends to hold atake-up spool, a driving roller in the drum to rotate said spool andspring means urging the spool against the driving roller, a ratchet andpawl device for rotating the driving roller step-by-step in onedirection, and a stationary cam on the axis of the drum to actuate theratchet and pawl device as the drum rotates and wherein the means forprojecting the iron comprises a stationary eccentric on the axis of thedrum, with an eccentric strap attached to the inner end of the iron.

6. A marking machine for placing successive markings on a travelling webmaterial, comprising a rotatable marking drum and a feed rollerproviding a nip for a passage therethrough of the web, which markingdrum is hollow and has a window in its periphery, an electric iron,means mounting the iron in the interior of the drum for projection toand retraction from an operative position in which it is presented atthe window, a mounting for a supply of marking ribbon in the druminterior and take-up means for accumulating the used ribbon in the druminterior, guides for guiding the ribbon from the supply to the take-upmeans along a path which presents it, at the window, to be pressed bythe iron against the web, means for projecting the iron to occupy itsoperative position while it is at the nip and for retracting it as itrotates from the nip, ribbon-feeding means for feeding the ribbon fromthe supply to the take-up upo-n retraction of the iron, and drivingmeans for the drum and roller, said take-up means comprising a pair oflevers mounted around the axis of the drum and shaped at the outer endsto hold a take-up spool, a driving roller in the drum to rotate saidspool and spring means urging the spool against the driving roller,a.ratchet and pawl device for rotating the driving roller stepby-step inone direction, and a cam on the axis of the drum to actuate the ratchetand, pawl v device as the drum rotates and wherein the means forprojecting the iron comprises an eccentric on the axis of the drum, withan eccentric strap attached to the inner end of the iron, and means forrotating the said cam and eccentric at a speed relative to the speed ofrotation of the drum according to the spacing required in the successivemarkings.

EMILE BERNARD BATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

